Navigating Change Together: Enhancing Lake, Reservoir, and Watershed Resilience

45th International Symposium of the North American Lake Management Society

November 4–7, 2025 • Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

NALMS and the Board of Directors are pleased to invite you to join us at the beach for the 2025 Annual Symposium – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The annual conference returns to the southeastern United States and the timing is crucial as the region’s coastal bay lakes face numerous ecological and anthropological challenges. Hazardous algal blooms, source water protection, fluctuating water levels, increased tropical storm frequency and strength and balancing reservoir needs for water supply and recreation are all topics of concern for natural resource managers. These topics and more will be deliberated during the conference, which will feature regional field trips, hands-on workshops, oral and poster presentations, and vendor displays.

We encourage you to explore the Myrtle Beach region and its abundance of outdoor recreation opportunities and tourist destinations before or after the conference. With numerous affordable lodging options, many world-class golf courses, and of course the beach, Myrtle Beach is a great base of operations for your explorations. In early November, average temperatures in Myrtle Beach are in the upper 60s and ocean temperatures are typically in the low to mid 60s. Its perfect beach weather for a final excursion prior to the coming winter, without the hassle of peak tourist season.

 

Prospective Program

There will be technical workshops all day Tuesday, November 4. Beginning Wednesday, November 5, three days of presentations will be organized into themed tracks and sessions. We encourage oral and poster presentations on any aspect of lake and reservoir management, but especially invite valuable insights on the following:

  • Carolina bay lakes
  • Citizen science
  • Human dimensions in lake science
  • PFAS/PFOA
  • Dam safety
  • Coastal/inland water connections, including wetlands
  • Stormwater
  • Flooding, fire, and other natural disasters
  • Watershed, river and sub-watershed projects
  • Dissolved oxygen dynamics
  • Modeling water quantity in river basins
  • Water conservation
  • HABS/nuisance cyanobacteria
  • Lake Conestee case studies
  • Piedmont area lakes
  • Lake/reservoir issues across SC region
  • Reservoir aging
  • In-lake nutrient management
  • Water Resources Center projects and research
  • Utility reservoir projects
  • Source water protection
  • Invasive aquatic species
  • Any other lake related topic!

 

Special Sessions

If you are interested in organizing a Special Session of themed presentations, please email Chris Doyle (naiadconsultants@gmail.com) and Amy Smagula (amy.smagula@des.nh.gov), Program Co-chairs, directly to coordinate no later than March 21, 2025. Sessions should consist of at least 4 presentations, or 3 presentations and a panel discussion.

 

General Presentation Information

  • We will prioritize oral presentations that describe completed or well-advanced studies with lab and/or field data. We encourage presentations that also project future challenges and advances in lake management. However, we discourage presentations that solely describe future projects, or which do not include data. We will make special arrangements for exhibitor presentations and/or that consist primarily of vendor information.
  • NALMS does not endorse specific products or services. Thus, any poster or presentation must include disclosure(s) of any and all relevant relationship(s) with: i) any and all corporations or ii) commercial product(s), iii) method(s), and iv) trade or brand name(s). The submitted abstract of an oral or poster presentation that includes such disclosure(s) shall also include the following wording: “The author(s) of this abstract has/have a financial interest in the (insert i through iv, as applicable) described.”
  • We require PowerPoint files for all oral presentations. We will provide laptop computers and projectors. Presentation computers are not guaranteed to have internet access or sound output available. Presentations should be prepared accordingly.
  • We discourage use of embedded video and audio files. Under no circumstances will presenters be allowed to go beyond their allotted time due to malfunctioning video or audio files.
  • Oral presentations will be allotted 20 minutes, including time for questions.
  • All presenters are highly encouraged to provide a recorded version of their presentation prior to the conference. Recordings will be available to all attendees during the conference and for 3 months after the conference.
  • We encourage abstract submissions for poster sessions. All posters will be displayed throughout the symposium in landscape format. Display areas will accommodate posters up to 4’ × 8’ (1.2 m × 2.4 m).
  • Students making oral or poster presentations as primary authors will be considered for student awards.
  • All presenters of accepted abstracts must register for the symposium no later than August 22, 2025. NALMS does not waive registration fees for presenters.

 

General Abstract Information

  • Abstracts are due by April 11, 2025. Abstracts received after the deadline may be rejected or reassigned from oral to poster presentations.
  • We accept abstracts only via the NALMS website. Abstracts must include the following information, as specified.
  • Title: Accurately summarize the subject of the presentation.
  • Keywords: Provide no more than three (3) one- or two-word keywords for your presentation such as ‘Alum’ or ‘Algal Toxin.’
  • Authors: Provide names and affiliations of all authors. NOTE: Indicate if the primary author is a student so the presentation may be considered for student awards.
  • Text: State the purpose, significant findings, and main conclusions of the work. Avoid statements like “Results will be presented“ and “Implications will be discussed.” Provide a concise summary of results and implications. Abstracts must not exceed 250 words; those in excess of 250 words may be truncated. Abstracts selected for either oral or poster presentations will be available to conference attendees.
  • Format: Indicate your presentation preference (oral, poster, or either).
Submit Your Abstract